How to become an International Civil Servant

Works for an international organisation to help solve problems between countries through international discussion and cooperation, in areas such as keeping world peace and security, development, trade, the environment and human rights.

Main tasks

• Managing and supervising work at the secretariat of an international organisation
• Researching topics in their field of work and writing reports
• Drawing up annual plans and budgets, getting member countries' approval at the general assembly and raising funds
• Working with other organisations to draft action plans and international agreements
• Coordinating between countries
• Giving technical advice and guidance to governments and public bodies in developing countries
• Supporting infrastructure development in other countries
• Doing general work such as secretary, typist or driver at an international organisation, using foreign languages

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

Ways in include applying for vacancies advertised internationally, sitting the UN Young Professionals Programme exam held each year in New York, Tokyo and other cities, and aiming for a permanent post through the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You need to communicate well enough to do the job in English or French, the working languages of the UN. Knowing the other UN official languages (Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic) is an advantage. Aid to developing countries is a big part of the work, so experts in economics, finance, public administration, law and similar fields are in high demand. As a rule you need a master's degree or higher. International organisations want people who can contribute straight away, so there is almost no training for new starters, and you need work experience beforehand in a field related to your degree.

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

• 0.34 job openings per applicant at Hello Work (2025). A current demand signal, not a projection. It counts only the jobs and job seekers registered at Hello Work, Japan's public employment offices, and many graduate and professional hires never pass through it.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an International Civil Servant?

Ways in include applying for vacancies advertised internationally, sitting the UN Young Professionals Programme exam held each year in New York, Tokyo and other cities, and aiming for a permanent post through the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You need to communicate well enough to do the job in English or French, the working languages of the UN. Knowing the other UN official languages (Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic) is an advantage. Aid to developing countries is a big part of the work, so experts in economics, finance, public administration, law and similar fields are in high demand. As a rule you need a master's degree or higher. International organisations want people who can contribute straight away, so there is almost no training for new starters, and you need work experience beforehand in a field related to your degree.

Do you need a degree to become an International Civil Servant?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 55% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an International Civil Servant?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Employment Referrals for General Workers (一般職業紹介状況): Hello Work job-openings-to-applicants ratio by occupation (2025 annual (release of 2026-10-02)), Government Standard Terms of Use 2.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• Statistics Bureau of Japan (MIC): 2020 Population Census (令和2年国勢調査) detailed sample tabulation: employed by occupation, sex, age and education (2020 Census (tables 9-1 and 15-1, published 2022-12-27)), Government Standard Terms of Use 2.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• JILPT (職業情報データベース) via MHLW job tag: job tag download data: 解説系 (descriptions, how to become, related qualifications) and 簡易版数値系 (interests, tasks, education) (解説系 ver.7.01 (2026-06-04); 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00 (2026-03-17)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026